Two tall green stalks dwarfed the pink petunias and small checkered flags also in the planter, which is maintained by city's Parks Department. No one's sure how long the plants were there or if they were intentionally planted, Vanaman said.

Residents and shop patrons got a laugh from the spectacle -- snapping pictures and texting friends, the paper reported.

Police have been mum on the find, but Vanaman offered his feelings on the situation: "I thought, 'Oh well, somebody just lost their private garden.'"